Braille Book Review
November-December 2012
Volume 81, Number 6
About Braille Book Review
Braille Book Review is published bimonthly in braille, large-print, and online
formats and distributed at no cost to blind and physically handicapped
individuals who participate in the Library of Congress reading program. It
lists braille books and magazines available through a network of cooperating
libraries and carries news of developments in library services. The braille
edition also lists NLS audiobooks appearing in Talking Book Topics with
brief annotations.
The annotated list in this issue is limited to titles recently added
to the national collection, which contains thousands of fiction and nonfiction
titles, including bestsellers, classics, biographies, romance novels,
mysteries, and how-to guides. Some books in Spanish are also available. To
learn more about the wide range of books in the national collection, access
the NLS International Union Catalog online at loc.gov/nls or contact your
local cooperating library.
Braille Book Review is available online in HTML and plain text at
www.loc.gov/nls/bbr. Patrons enrolled in the Web-Braille service may download
contracted braille files for use with braille output devices.
About Web-Braille
Most books and all magazines listed in Braille Book Review are available for
download for use with braille output devices. To use the Web-Braille service
contact your cooperating library.
Music scores and instructional materials
Individuals registered for NLS music services may receive braille and
large-print music scores, texts, and instructional recordings about music
and musicians through the NLS Music Section. For more information about the
NLS music collection call 1-800-424-8567, send an e-mail to nlsm@loc.gov,
or visit www.loc.gov/nls/music/index.html.
Where to write
Order braille books through your local braille-lending library. To change
or cancel a Braille Book Review subscription complete the form on the inside
back cover and mail it to your local braille-lending library. To find your
library check the last pages of this magazine or go online to www.loc.gov/
nls/find.html.
Patrons who are American citizens living abroad may request delivery
to foreign addresses by contacting the overseas librarian by phone at (202)
707-5100 or e-mail at nls@loc.gov.
Send correspondence about editorial matters to: Publications and Media
Section, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped,
Library of Congress, Washington DC, 20542-0002.
Library of Congress, Washington 2012
Catalog Card Number 53-31800
ISSN 0006-873X
Contents:
In Brief
Books for Adults
Nonfiction
Fiction
Books for Children
Nonfiction
Fiction
Braille Magazines
###
In Brief
Newsstand
The following announcements may be of interest to readers. The National
Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped reserves the right
to publish announcements selectively, as space permits. The items mentioned,
however, are not part of the NLS program and their listings do not imply
endorsement.
Toll-free diabetes helpline
The Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation provides a toll-free helpline
for non-emergency questions about the condition available from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday–Friday, Eastern Time. Call 1-800-941-4635 to speak to a
registered nurse who is a certified diabetes educator. Typical questions
concern blood glucose goals, nutrition, medication regimens, and finding a
diabetes doctor or research center.
Braille music course
Hadley School for the Blind is offering
a new braille music course. Braille
Music Basics is designed for sighted or partially sighted individuals who
want to transcribe
print music into braille, teach braille music to students,
or support a braille-
reading musician. The five-lesson class, which is free,
was created by musician and braille transcriber Ruth Rozen. Completion of
Braille Music Basics Diagnostic, which assesses a person’s ability to read
print music and read and produce
uncontracted braille, is a prerequisite for
Braille Music Basics. For more information visit www.hadley.edu, call
1-800-
526-9909, or e-mail student_services@
hadley.edu.
Descriptive-video movies available in Regal cinemas
Regal Entertainment Group, which owns and operates the largest movie theater
chain in the United States, is providing descriptively narrated movies in its
theaters nationwide. Closed-captioning
and descriptive narration have been added to Regal theaters with the rollout
of their digital cinema technology.
Show times for descriptive-video and closed-
captioned movies are listed by
state at www.regmovies.com/Theatres/Captioning-
and-Descriptive-Video.
###
_Books for Adults_
The following books were recently produced for the NLS
program. To order books, contact your braille-lending
library.
_Note:_ For the information of the reader, a notice may
appear immediately following the book description to
indicate occurrences of violence, strong language, or
explicit descriptions of sex. The word "some" before
any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent
occurrence, as in "some strong language."
Adult Nonfiction
Naming Nature: The Clash between Instinct and Science
BR 18661
by Carol Kaesuk Yoon
3 volumes
Biologist examines the human drive to identify and name plants and animals in
our environment. Discusses the history and evolution of taxonomy. Includes
information on the father of scientific classification, Carl (Carolus)
Linnaeus, and on naturalist Charles Darwin. 2009.
BR 18661
##
The Life You Want: Get Motivated, Lose Weight, and Be Happy
BR 19331
by Bob Greene and others 3 volumes
Author and Oprah fitness expert Greene teams up with psychologist Kearney-
Cooke and nutritionist Jibrin to examine barriers to weight loss. Offers tips
on overcoming emotional eating, poor body image, and aversion to exercise,
discomfort, and pain. Provides instructions for creating motivational tools,
including lifestyle logs and goal-setting worksheets. 2010.
BR 19331
##
Dewey’s Nine Lives: The Legacy of the Small-Town Library Cat Who Inspired
Millions
BR 19342
by Vicki Myron
3 volumes
Author of Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World (BR 17821)
recounts more memories of Dewey, who warmed the hearts of readers in Spencer,
Iowa, and elsewhere. Also shares anecdotes received from correspondents
around the country about other cats. 2010.
BR 19342
##
African-American Writers: Multicultural Voices
BR 19343
by Amy Sickels
2 volumes
Examines the lives and works of eight renowned African American authors.
Includes short biographies, summaries, and literary analyses on Maya Angelou,
Toni Morrison, Ernest J. Gaines, Walter Dean Myers, Alice Walker, August
Wilson, Charles Johnson, and Gloria Naylor. For senior high and older
readers. 2010.
BR 19343
##
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs; Stories of Love and
Understanding for Those Who Care for Children with Disabilities
BR 19351
by Jack Canfield and others 3 volumes
Accounts of rearing children who have autism, juvenile diabetes, Down
syndrome, or other mental and physical disabilities by parents, relatives,
and caregivers. Contributors share their challenges, setbacks, and successes
as they discuss adjusting, expressing gratitude, reaching milestones,
dealing with sibling rivalry, early learning, breaking barriers, and
fostering independence. 2007.
BR 19351
##
Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of
Trust at Ground Zero
BR 19434
by Michael Hingson
2 volumes
Michael Hingson recounts his escape from the North Tower of the World Trade
Center on September 11, 2001. Hingson, blind since birth, describes his and
his guide dog Roselle’s experience as she led him down seventy-eight flights
of stairs to safety. 2011.
BR 19434
##
Braille Books, 2009–2010
BR 19485
by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
2 volumes
A catalog of braille books produced during 2009 and 2010 by the National
Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Separate sections
list nonfiction and fiction by subject categories. Young adult books and
uncontracted braille books are also included. 2012.
BR 19485
##
Adult Fiction
Jude the Obscure
BR 18655
by Thomas Hardy
5 volumes
Jude Fawley is forced to marry Arabella, who later abandons him. Jude moves
to the town of Christminster, where he meets and falls in love with his
freethinking cousin Sue. Jude and Sue opt to live together unmarried, defying
social and religious convention. First published in 1895. 1998.
BR 18655
##
She Shoots to Conquer: An Ellie Haskell Mystery
BR 18771
by Dorothy Cannell
3 volumes
Lost and driving in thick fog, Ellie, her husband, and Mrs. Malloy stop at
Mucklesfeld Manor for directions. They learn the manor’s lord will marry a
participant in the reality-television show scheduled to be filmed at the
estate. But one early-arriving contestant has driven into a ravine and died.
2009.
BR 18771
##
Shadow of Betrayal
BR 18776
by Brett Battles
3 volumes
After body-disposal expert Jonathan Quinn, from The Cleaner (BR 17435),
experiences a botched operation in Ireland, he is dispatched to New York
City, where Christopher Jackson, an intelligence director, has been murdered.
Quinn, framed for the crime, tracks down the culprits. Violence and strong
language. 2009.
BR 18776
##
A Troubled Peace
BR 18781
by L.M. Elliott
2 volumes
1945. World War II pilot Henry Forester, from Under a War-Torn Sky
(BR 14673), returns home to Virginia and struggles with nightmares. Henry
ventures to France to find a boy who saved his life and is shocked at the
lingering devastation. Some violence. For senior high readers. 2009.
BR 18781
##
Cat Playing Cupid: A Joe Grey Mystery
BR 18786
by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
3 volumes
Molena Point, California. Tomcat Joe Grey’s human housemate Clyde finally
marries his sweetheart. Meanwhile, Joe’s feral friends discover amid the
ruins of an old estate a body and a book that reveals the cats’ hidden
speaking abilities. Joe finds links to a ten-year-old case of a missing
bridegroom. 2009.
BR 18786
##
Fever Dream
BR 18932
by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
3 volumes
Twelve years after his wife Helen was killed in Africa, FBI agent Aloysius
Pendergast learns that her death was not an accident. With the help of NYC
cop Vincent D’Agosta, Pendergast pursues the killer—and discovers Helen’s
secrets. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2010.
BR 18932
##
When You Least Expect It
BR 19344
by Whitney Gaskell
3 volumes
West Palm Beach couple India and Jeremy Halloway decide to adopt after
fertility treatments fail. Through an adoption attorney, India and Jeremy
meet pregnant, impoverished manicurist Lainey Walker, who dreams of becoming
a reality-TV star. Lainey moves in and becomes part of the family—but later
has second thoughts. 2010.
BR 19344
##
House Made of Dawn
BR 19345
by N. Scott Momaday
2 volumes
Rural New Mexico. Native American Abel returns home to his grandfather’s
house after fighting in World War II but is unable to adjust to the dying
Indian culture or the white world. Some violence and some descriptions of
sex. Pulitzer Prize. 1966.
BR 19345
##
To Desire a Wicked Duke
BR 19350
by Nicole Jordan
3 volumes
England, 1817. Two years after Tess Blanchard’s fiancé is killed, his rakish
cousin Ian Sutherland, the duke of Rotham, sees Tess kissing an actor and
declares he can do better. Forced to wed Ian, Tess is unaware that he has
always loved her. Explicit descriptions of sex. 2011.
BR 19350
##
The Gift: Witch and Wizard
BR 19352
by James Patterson and Ned Rust
2 volumes
After escaping imprisonment and execution by the totalitarian regime known
as the New Order, powerful siblings Wisty and Whit Allgood become leaders of
the Resistance. Though wanted, the Allgoods continue to defy the government.
Sequel to Witch and Wizard (BR 18902). For senior high readers. 2010.
BR 19352
##
The Fall: The Strain Trilogy, Book 2
BR 19353
by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
3 volumes
Disgraced Centers for Disease Control official Dr. Eph Goodweather struggles
to contain the vampire virus that has taken over New York City—and to protect
his son from his ex-wife, who has been infected. Meanwhile war develops
between the Old and New World vampires. Violence and strong language. 2010.
BR 19353
##
Awakened: House of Night
BR 19355
by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
2 volumes
In this sequel to Burned (BR 19119), high priestess Neferet swears vengeance
on Zoey. Meanwhile, Queen Sgiach is grooming Zoey as her replacement, and
everyone’s relationships are changing. Strong language and some violence.
For senior high readers. 2010.
BR 19355
##
The Dark and Hollow Places
BR 19384
by Carrie Ryan
3 volumes
Annah waits alone for Elias to return and listens to the moaning of the Dark
City dying around her, while longing to find her way back home to her family.
Sequel to The Dead-Tossed Waves (BR 19078). Some violence and some strong
language. For senior high and older readers. 2011.
BR 19384
##
Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle
BR 19386
by Ann B. Ross
3 volumes
North Carolina. During a blizzard, elderly Miss Julia helps deliver Hazel
Marie’s twin babies. When a dead body is found in a neighbor’s toolshed,
Miss Julia investigates. She also searches for the person who has been
writing bad checks in her name. 2011.
BR 19386
##
The Silenced
BR 19389
by Brett Battles
3 volumes
Professional cleaner Jonathan Quinn, from Shadow of Betrayal (BR 18776), is
hired to remove the remains of a body hidden for twenty years inside the
walls of a London building that is about to be demolished. But the job
endangers Quinn’s family. Violence and strong language. 2011.
BR 19389
##
Then Came You
BR 19431
by Jennifer Weiner
3 volumes
Gold digger India finally snares billionaire husband Marcus. Unable to
conceive, the couple hires Princeton senior Jules to donate eggs and married
mother Annie to carry the baby. But Marcus’s daughter Bettina vows to expose
India’s past and drive her away. Strong language and some descriptions of
sex. Bestseller. 2011.
BR 19431
##
Happy Birthday
BR 19432
by Danielle Steel
2 volumes
Three people start out miserable on their landmark birthdays but end up
happy. Aging style guru Valerie Wyatt turns sixty unattached, Valerie’s
single daughter April is thirty and pregnant, and quarterback-turned-
sportscaster Jack Adams faces fifty alone. Bestseller. 2011.
BR 19432
##
Nana’s Gift and The Red Geranium
BR 19439
by Janette Oke
2 volumes
Two inspirational short stories. In Nana’s Gift ninety-three-year-old Lizzie
helps her great granddaughter overcome tragedy. In The Red Geranium Tommy
brings his Gran a gift to cheer her up while she is in the hospital. 1995.
BR 19439
##
###
_Books for Children_
The following books were recently produced for the NLS
program. To order books, contact your braille-lending
library.
Children’s Nonfiction
Fourteen Cows for America
BR 19002
by Carmen Agra Deedy
1 volume
Upon returning to his village in Kenya, Kimeli tells his people about the
World Trade Center tragedy of September 11, 2001. In response, the Maasai
villagers present fourteen cows—symbolic of life—as an offering to grieving
Americans. Afterword by Kimeli Naiyomah. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3 and
older readers. 2009.
BR 19002
##
Sam Patch: Daredevil Jumper
BR 19023
by Julie Cummins
1 volume
Recounts the short career of Sam Patch (1807–1829), who combined his skills
as a natural-born jumper and expert swimmer to successfully leap 120 feet
into Niagara Falls, but who failed a 125-foot jump on Friday, November 13,
1829, at Genesee Falls. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2009.
BR 19023
##
Once upon a Twice
BR 19026
by Denise Doyen
1 volume
One moonlit night a young mouse named Jam ignores the elders’ warnings and
sits alone near the lake—the perfect prey for a water snake. Written in
nonsense verse. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2009.
BR 19026
##
I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat: History’s Strangest Cures
BR 19050
by Carlyn Beccia
1 volume
Examines old folk cures for coughs, wounds, stomachaches, and other common
ailments, such as the use of live frogs to treat sore throats in Medieval
Europe. Presents multiple possible remedies for eight illnesses then explains
why each would—or would not—actually work. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2010.
BR 19050
##
Space, Stars, and the Beginning of Time: What the Hubble Telescope Saw
BR 19348
by Elaine Scott
1 volume
Recounts discoveries about the universe—seeing a star being born, tracking a
galaxy light-years away, verifying the existence of dark energy—made since
1990 by scientists using the Hubble telescope. Discusses the 2009 mission to
update Hubble so it could continue probing the mysteries of the cosmos. For
grades 4-7. 2011.
BR 19348
##
Dizzy Dinosaurs: Silly Dino Poems
BR 19388
edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins
1 volume
Nineteen short poems about different dinosaurs. “School Rules” warns
dinosaurs not to eat their classmates. “Oops!” finds Carcharodontosaurus
upset when his tooth pops out. Includes a guide to pronouncing dinosaur
names. For grades K-3. 2011.
BR 19388
##
Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters
BR 20002
by Barack Obama
1 volume
President Obama praises thirteen American citizens—including Helen Keller,
Martin Luther King Jr., and Cesar Chavez—whose contributions shaped our
country. Expresses hope that these heroes will inspire his daughters and
all children to pursue their own unique gifts and build up our nation.
PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3 and older readers. 2010.
BR 20002
##
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave
BR 20003
by Laban Carrick Hill
1 volume
Discusses the creative work of South Carolina slave Dave (1834–1864), who
made large clay pots and jars—some of which he inscribed with poems. PRINT/
BRAILLE. For grades K-3. Coretta Scott King Award; Caldecott Honor Book. 2010.
BR 20003
##
Children’s Fiction
Blueberries for Sal
BR 17335
by Robert McCloskey
1 volume
One day in Maine, Little Sal goes blueberry picking with her mother. Little
Bear also comes with his mother to eat blueberries on the other side of the
hill. There is quite a mix-up when the little ones stray from their mothers.
PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. Caldecott Honor Book. 1948.
BR 17335
##
Woods Runner
BR 18934
by Gary Paulsen
1 volume
Western Pennsylvania, 1776. When a band of British soldiers and Indians
attack his homestead and kidnap his parents, thirteen-year-old Samuel uses
his hunting skills to track his captive parents. He encounters the enemy’s
cruelty in full force along the way. Some violence. For grades 6-9. 2010.
BR 18934
##
Bubble Trouble
BR 19022
by Margaret Mahy
1 volume
Mabel blows a bubble that bobbles over her baby brother and wafts him away.
This results in a wild chase not only by Mabel and her mother but by the
whole neighborhood. Story in rhyme. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. 2008.
BR 19022
##
And Then Comes Halloween
BR 19024
by Tom Brenner
1 volume
When autumn chills the air and crunchy leaves fall from trees, it is time to
prepare for Halloween: decorating the house, carving pumpkins, and making
costumes. Finally you go trick-or-treating with your friends and share the
spooky fun. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. 2009.
BR 19024
##
Otis
BR 19025
by Loren Long
1 volume
A scared little calf calms down after she’s placed near a softly putt-puffing
tractor named Otis. They become inseparable—until the farmer buys a big
yellow tractor and retires Otis. But when the calf gets stuck in Mud Pond,
only her special friend can rescue her. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2.
2009.
BR 19025
##
The Clock Struck One: A Time-Telling Tale
BR 19027
by Trudy Harris
1 volume
Expanded version of “Hickory Dickory Dock.” A cat chases the mouse who ran
up the clock, followed by other animals and some people too. By midnight all
the tired creatures fall asleep in a heap. Includes a fact section on time-
telling using analog and digital clocks. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2.
2009.
BR 19027
##
I Know Here
BR 19047
by Laurel Croza
1 volume
To prepare for moving far away, a third-grade girl draws a picture of all the
things she likes in her rural Saskatchewan home—the dirt road, trailers,
river, beaver dam, frogs, and forest animals—then folds it up to take with
her when she leaves for Toronto. PRINT/BRAILLE. For grades K-3. Globe-Horn
Book Award. 2010.
BR 19047
##
Small as an Elephant
BR 19349
by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
2 volumes
Maine. On a camping trip with his mother, eleven-year-old Jack, an expert on
all things elephant, wakes up alone—his mother has deserted him. Jack does
not panic or ask an adult for help, but instead sets out to find her on his
own. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 2011.
BR 19349
##
The Trouble with May Amelia
BR 19436
by Jennifer L. Holm
2 volumes
Washington State, 1900. Living with seven brothers and a Finnish father who
thinks girls are useless is difficult for twelve-year-old May Amelia. So May
Amelia eagerly translates for her father when a man offers to buy their farm.
Sequel to Our Only May Amelia (BR 17367). For grades 5-8. 2011.
BR 19436
##
The Penderwicks at Point Mouette
BR 19441
by Jeanne Birdsall
2 volumes
Skye, Jane, and Batty Penderwick depart for two weeks in Maine with their
Aunt Claire and are separated from their oldest sister Rosalind for the first
time. This leaves Skye in charge as the OAP—oldest available Penderwick.
Sequel to The Penderwicks on Gardam Street (BR 18090). For grades 4-7. 2011.
BR 19441
##
April and Esme, Tooth Fairies
BR 20001
by Bob Graham
1 volume
Tiny April Underhill, age seven and three-quarters, and her sister Esme, age
six, convince their parents to let them journey for the first time into the
huge world of humans—on a mission to collect Daniel Dangerfield’s tooth
tonight and leave him a coin. PRINT/BRAILLE. For preschool-grade 2. 2010.
BR 20001
##
###
Braille Magazines
The following is a list of braille magazines in the Library
of Congress program. Readers may obtain free personal
subscriptions to these magazines. For information
on the availability of specific magazines, consult the
library that send you braille materials.
Boys' Life (for children and teens, monthly)
Braille Book Review (bimonthly)
Braille Chess Magazine (British quarterly)
Braille Music Magazine (British monthly)
Conundrum (British monthly)
Cooking Light (11 issues)
ESPN: The Magazine (biweekly)
Harper's (literary; monthly)
Health Newsletters (includes Harvard Health Letter, Mayo
Clinic Health Letter, and University of California at
Berkeley Wellness Letter; monthly)
Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine (monthly)
Ladies' Home Journal (11 issues)
Martha Stewart Living (home and entertaining; monthly)
Muse (for children; 9 issues)
Musical Mainstream (NLS quarterly)
National Geographic (monthly)
The New York Times Book Review (weekly)
The New York Times Large Print Weekly (weekly)
News (NLS quarterly)
Parenting Early Years (11 issues)
Parenting School Years (11 issues)
PC World (personal computing; monthly)
Playboy (11 issues)
Poetry (11 issues)
Popular Communications (monthly)
Popular Mechanics (monthly)
Popular Music Lead Sheets (irregular)
Rolling Stone (popular culture; 24 issues)
Science News (26 issues)
Seventeen (for teens; 10 issues)
Short Stories (British monthly)
Spider: The Magazine for Children (9 issues)
Stone Soup (children's writings; 6 issues)
Update (NLS quarterly)
Schedules for the following sports leagues are also available:
American Baseball League
National Baseball League
National Basketball Association
National Football League
National Hockey League
Women’s National Basketball Association
###